How Do I... Get Soil and/or Irrigation Water Tested?

Growing healthy lawns, landscapes and produce in Florida can be challenging, with the combination of harsh weather and difficult soil conditions. We can help. Our Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ program can help you identify the right plant for the right place and other steps you can take to get growing, and get great advice and information at our myriad events and workshops, at ufsarasotaext.eventbrite.com.

Although healthy plants rely on healthy soil and water, many plant problems can occur in spite of optimal conditions. So, it is important to first determine if a soil or irrigation water test is needed. Because many test results do not provide a comprehensive report on plant health factors—providing information only on the pH, soluble salts and nutrient levels of soil or water—it is best to first eliminate the many other factors which contribute to poor plant health prior to doing a soil or water test. These factors include:

• Too much or too little irrigation,
• Too much or too little light levels (shade), and/or
• Presence of pest and/or disease pressures.

Once other plant health factors are accounted for, soil tests are usually recommended if:

• Plant tissue is chlorotic (yellow),
• Plant vigor is low, and/or
• Fruit set and/or flower production is low.

If it is determined that soil and/or irrigation water test results are needed to improve plant health, we've noted below an array of options available to you. NOTE: Click on the "...view this item..." note beneath a category (below) to expand its content, or view all items in all categories.

NOTE: Water testing measures pH and soluble salt concentations ("salinity") and is intended for irrigation water only. We do not test for drinking/potable water standards.